Condiment containers such as salt shakers traditionally have caps with dispensing openings provided therein to allow the escape of condiments through the cap when the container is inverted. The condiment container can thus be used to spread condiments over, e.g., a meal by inverting the container over the meal to allow the condiment from escaping through the cap onto the plate.
With condiment containers that have exposed dispensing openings, condiments may escape accidentally if the container is tilted or tipped unwillingly. Furthermore, the open dispensing openings allow the entry of humidity, dust and other impurities into the condiment container which may soil the condiments. As such, caps for condiment containers that provide a closing mechanism are preferred to those that do not.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,096 provides a shaker for condiments with a cap that can open and close. The cap has an arcuate form and can be opened by a user by pressing on the apex of the form. When opened, the cap arches upwards and reveals dispensing openings. This cap, however, suffers from multiple drawbacks. For example, it is only mountable on a shaker having an integral mounting bead along the mouth.
In the context of the above, it can be appreciated that there is a need in the industry for an improved cap for a condiment container.